Insole



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INSOLE Filed NOV. 4, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l 25 i?? W fw mzs gag@ Aug M, WM. c. H. DANIELS 2,252,595

NSOLE Filed NOV. 4, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 n 9 5. @gli Egg/Z 46 151,08 Taza?" Zuace Jane Z5,

5y MKM taining the flexibility.

Y lllatentecly Aug. 12, -1941 INSOLE p Claude H. Daniels, Greenwich, Conn.

Application November 4 1940, Serial No. 364,228

'z claims. (ci. :it-'22) This invention relates to improvements in insoles for boots and shoes, to methods of rein,-

forcing insoles and to the improved material used for the reinforcement of insoles.

In shoe manufacture there are opposing f actors. First, the. shoe must be made durable and strong to retain its shape and prevent breaking down and to securely noia the stitches, but the shoe must not be too stiff. It is desired that the shoe shallI be relatively flexible, particularly at the ball area vso that the shoe will bend to accommodate the normal movement of the foot in walking. In the welt construction, for ex'- amp1e,it is customary to reinforce the bottom of the insole within the area surrounded by the upstanding rib, by cementing a piece of canvas or gem duck thereto. The canvas tends to hold the stitches'which pass through the rib more securely and prevents spreading of the insole. The canvas stiffens the shoe which is undesirable. Recently it has been proposed to use in place of the canvas orgem duck a tape which is cemented to the upstanding rib and to thev bottom face of the sole around the margin of layer which is reinforced by a sheet of fabric. In these prior constructions the fabric, canvas.

gem duck or otherwise, has been relatively nonstretchable.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an improved insole which for example may be used in the manufacture of compo, stitchdown, pre-welt or McKay shoes or the like comprising a relatively thin 'flexible insole reinforced with my special fabric which is yieldable longitudinally of the sole but is relatively non-yieldable or non-stretchable transversely of vthe sole.

Further objects and advantages of my improvements will be more readily apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof taken in connection with the attached drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a bottom-'view of an'insole for a welt shoez' Fig. V2 is a bottom view of a relatively thin flexible insole having a fabric reinforcement applied thereto;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of an insole for a welt shoe having a reinforcing tape applied to the outside of the rib;

Fig. ,4 is a fragmentary 'bottom view of the forepart of an insole, a portion of which has been reduced in thickness and reinforced by a fabric;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken on the plane indicated l-S in Fig. 33

It is an object of my invention to use in shoe 2 manufacture a special' material which has considerable stretch in one direction but is relatively non-stretchable in atransverse direction, and to apply this fabric to insoles in such a manner that the fabric will stretch longitudinally of the shoe and permit the flexing of the shoe in the normal ma'nner thereby serving to reinforce the shoe but at the same timere- It is a further object of my invention to employ a textile fabric which has 4been knitted,

woven or otherwise fabricated in such a manner `that it is stretcl'iable in one direction and is relatively non-streichablel in a transverse direction.

plane indicated iI-II in Fig. 8; and

Itis a particular object of my invention to 'employ in the manufacture of weltl shoes my special kfabric in place of the usual vgein duck which is applied to the bottom of the insole in the usual mannerhor to employ a stripwhich is longitudinally stretchable, cemented to the rib and to the adjacent portion of the insole.

Fig. 6 is a cross-section similar to Fig. 5,5but showing a modification:

Fig. 7 is a section taken on the plane indicated' 1 I in Fig. 4;

, Fig. 8 is a bottom view of an insole for a welt shoe, the ball portion of which has been weakened by slashing and having a fabric reinforcement applied thereto;

Fig.' 9 is a side elevation of the insole shown in Fig. 8:

Fig. 10 is a cross-section taken on the plane indicated III-Il in Fig.`8;

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section taken on the Fig. 12 is a longitudinal section of a slashed insole having a fabric reinforcement; and

Fig. 13 is an enlarged detail view of one form of knit which may be used for the fabric used to reinforce. the lnsoles.

I have found many advantages in the use of specially vfabricated material for the reinforcement ofinsoles 4which is made in such a manner that the material has more than the normal stretch in one direction but is relatively nonstretchable in a transverse direction. One method is to knit the fabric i-n a special manner as shown by the knitted material Il in Fig. 13. Inthiscalethefabricasitisknitilweightcd l or stretched to take out most all the stretch in an up-and-down direction as shown in Fig. 13,l while the stretchability of the fabric transversely is increased. The material may be made in other ways, such as by weavingor otherwise. Woven fabric which has heretofore been used to reinforce insolesmay have hada small amount of stretch in one direction,- but has not v'been applied to the insoles in any special vmanner 'softhat the stretch is in a particular direction, namely lengthwise of the insole, and even if so applied the old woven material would be of little help in permitting flexingof the insole due to the slight amount of stretch present in vthe woven material. If my reinforcing material is made by weaving it would be made to have more than the normal stretch so that when properly applied to the insole it will notlitend to stiften the insole and resist flexing. Instead the material would be readily stretchable lengthwise of the sole so as to allow full flexing of the insole and will be relatively non-stretchablev transverselyv of the insole and thereby prevent spreading.

My knitted, woven or otherwise fabricated ma- I teria] may, if desired, be treated with a rubber solution such as latex, either by coating one or both surfaces or by impregnation, the rubber serving to impart elasticity to the fabric and prevent raveling or fraying of the edges when the material is cut into pieces. to be applied to lnsoles. A thin sheet of rubber could also be cemented to the fabric. The material can also be made or cut in the form of a strip Vwhich is stretchable lengthwise thereof.

I have disclosed in Fig. l an insole |2 for a welt shoe which is of ordinary construction havn ing a rib I4. It is customary practicewhen thin insoles are used for'the purpose of flexibility to reinforce the insole by a method zknown as gemming which consists in applying a fabric f e known as gem duck to the pocket formed within the rib i4. In my method the reinforcing fabric I6 which is cemented to the bottom face of the insole and to the inner side of -therib is made as previously described in a specialmanner to be stretchable lengthwise of the insole 'and to be relativelynon-stretchable transversely of the lnsole. The reinforcement i6 serves to strengthen the rib I4 to more securely hold the stitches and vtends to prevent spreading while at the same time lof the insole.

Insteadol' using a full piece` of fabric reinpreserving and retaining'the normal flexibility 'forcement'as shown in Fig. l, Imay use a reinforcement inv the form of a strip as shown in Figs. 3 and 5 in which the usual welt insole i8 has a rib 20 and thereinforcing tape 22 is cemented to the insole and to the outer face of the rib.

VThe strip serves to reinforce the rib as well as the margin of the insole. The reinforcement of the rib will hold the stitches more securely. Reinforcement of themarginal edge of the insole -.makes a ilrm edge on the insole which does not curl and the shoe will better retain its shape.` The strip 22-is made to be stretchable lengthwise of the strip and therefore does not tendto stiifen y the soie or prevent the normal flexing. It should be further understood that if desired a strip reinforcement 23 may be cemented to the inner rleast over the forepart thereof and extending approximately tothe marginal edge of the insole. The fabric may be cemented to the insole l. in any desiredy manner. The fabric is applied in i tion of the insole.

such amanner .that the stretch is lengthwise of the insole. 'I'hev fabric reinforcement serves to stabilize the insole but does not materially stiien the insole.

An alternative method is shown in Figs. 4 and 'I in which the sole 28 is reduced in thickness at the ball portion 30 such as by skivng or grinding away some of the material. The insole is reinforced by cementing af fabric reinforcement 32 into the space. formed by the removal of/a por- The fabric 321s applied in such a manner that it is stretchable lengthwise of the insole.

In Figs. f8 to llinclusive I have shown a welt insole 34 having the upstanding rib 36, the insole being renderedmore flexible across the ball portion Hby the `'slashes orcuts 38 which extend through the `rib 36 as indicated at 40 in Fig. 9.

I have applied to the insole a fabric reinforcef ment 42.by cementing in the same manner as shown in"'Fig. l.l The fabric serves to reinforce the entire insole and particularly the weakened area tending` to keep the slashes closed up by permitting flexing of the insole due to the fact that vthe fabric' 42 is stretchable lengthwise of the insole. f Y .l

Fig. 12 discloses a; plain insole 44 having slashes 46 and reinforced by the fabric 48 which is cementedto' the insole to be stretchable lengthwise of the insole.

I claim:

1. An insole having a slashed area at the forepart and a reinforcement adhesively applied to theunder side of the insole and extending over the slashed area comprising knit fabric matei rial stretchable longitudinally of the sole and relatively non-stretchable transversely of the sole.

2. An insole for a welt shoe having an upstanding rib and a reinforcement adhesively secured to the bottom face of the insole at the ball portion thereof and adhesively secured to theinner side of the upstanding rib, said reinforcement comprising knit fabric material stretchable longtudinally of the sole and relatively non-stretchable transversely of the sole.

3. An insole for a shoe having a weakened area. at the under side of the forepart thereof and a reinforcement adhesively applied to the under side of the sole and extending over the weakened area, comprising knit fabric material stretchable longitudinally of the sole and relat tively non-*stretchable transversely of the sole.

4. An insole for a welt shoe having a. weakened area at the under side of the forepart thereof and a reinforcement adhesively applied to the under side of the sole and extending over at least a ,portion of j the weakened area, comprising knit lfabric`vr material stretchable longitudinally of the sole and relatively non-stretchable transversely of the sole.

5. In a welt insole having an upstanding lip, a reinforcement in the form of a.V strip of knit fabric materal cemented to one side of the lip and to the adjacent portion of the insole, said -strip of knit fabric material being stretchable longitudinally of the lip and' relatively 'nonstretchabie transversely of the lip.

6. 'In a, welt insole having an upstanding lip,

va reinforcement in the form o f a strip of knit fabric material cemented to the outside of the lip 5 and to the marginal edge of the insole, said strip -of knit fabric material being stretchable longitudinally of the lip and relatively. non-stretchable transversely of the lip whereby said strip serves as a reinforcement of the lip 'and the 10 and to the bottom face of the insole adjacent the lip, said strip of knit fabric material being -stretchable longitudinally of the lip and relatively non-stretchable transversely of the lip.

CLAUDE H. DANIELS. 

